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Re: [nexa] Il digitale europeo è fatto di miraggi
by Giuseppe Attardi May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019

+1. On 04/05/19 13:15, nexa-request(a)server-nexa.polito.it wrote: > Ces politiques permettaient aussi de nous soustraire à la dépendance aux outils des grands plateformes internationales, non pas au nom d’un protectionnisme qui vise à faire émerger leurs homologues européens, mais au nom de la recherche d’alternatives citoyennes. C’est là que le dernier levier du numérique européen serait activé : en encourageant des usages technologiques désintermédiés, distribués et participatifs. Bref, en promouvant une innovation faite de structures développées en commun .

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How ‘Cybersovereignty’ Splits the Once World Wide Web
by Giacomo Tesio May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019

Cina, Russia e India si adoperano per prendere il controllo delle comunicazioni Internet, sottraendolo agli Stati Uniti... e ai propri cittadini. Offre qualche speranza la Francia in cui qualcuno sembra iniziare a capire (in ritardo e senza fretta) cosa sta succedendo (e non è un caso che Bloomberg metta il Senato francese sullo stesso piano di Putin e Xi Jinping... ;-) Inutile dire che la sicurezza è una scusa: non ci sarà mai sicurezza informatica senza conoscenza informatica diffusa capillarmente, come dimostrano i continui "incidenti" che raggiungono ormai quotidianamente gli onori delle cronache (la consueta punta dell'iceberg). Se vogliamo salvare Internet (e il sogno di Pace che rappresenta) non dobbiamo spezzarla ma distribuirla in modo che non sia controllabile da nessuno. Se solo l'Unione Europea... :-x D'altronde non è un caso se non ci prendono proprio sul serio. Noi siamo già una colonia. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-02/how-cybersovereignty-spl… Early on, the narrative around the internet was it should be unfettered and borderless, a global commons. That didn’t last. China’s President Xi Jinping has led the way in asserting what’s become known as cybersovereignty -- a nation’s right to control the digital realm. Other authoritarian regimes such as Russia’s and Vietnam’s, but also governments in places such as India and France, are following suit. With America’s more hands-off approach under fire for enabling election meddling, fake news and hate speech, China is trumpeting its method of controlling the internet to serve state interests. [...] The French National Assembly formed a task force in April 2018 to examine ways to protect against not only cyberattacks but growing dependency on foreign technology companies, after a French Senate report warned France and the European Union were at risk of becoming “digital colonies.” [...] Cybersovereignty enables both censorship -- the suppression of information for political or other purposes -- and cybersecurity, the protection of things like transportation systems, electrical grids and personal information. Xi, who chairs China’s top cyber-administrative regulator, has repeatedly underscored the importance of building an independent cyberspace that foreign powers can’t disrupt, as the foundation for China’s national security. President Vladimir Putin described Russia’s new legislation as a response to the threat of surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency. [...] Ex-Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt has predicted that within a decade, the internet will split in two, with one led by the U.S. and the other by China. A big test will be the global expansion of Chinese tech titans such as Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which developed and flourished within China’s authoritarian model.

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Il digitale europeo è fatto di miraggi
by Antonio Casilli May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019

Il settimanale L'Obs (ex-Nouvel Observateur) mi ha chiesto di scrivere una "lettera all'Europa sul digitale". Il link è questo: https://www.nouvelobs.com/elections-europeennes/20190504.OBS12461/lettre-a-… Ve la incollo qui, in versione pre-print e pre-tagli dovuti a limiti di spazio. --- Chère Europe, Tu promets des technologies « vertueuses » et respectueuses de la société et de l’environnement. Bien sûr, sur le plan législatif, des avancées considérables ont été inspirées par tes institutions. En cherchant à composer les exigences de tes citoyens et de tes marchés, t’as su susciter d’ambitieuses mesures de protection des libertés numériques et d’intégrité des données personnelles, comme le RGPD. Mais ton positionnement en champion du numérique « respectueux des droits » se heurte à un problème de taille, à savoir ton attitude ambigüe vis-à-vis des sociétés qui vont sous le nom de GAFAM (Google Apple Facebook Amazon Microsoft). L’obsession de vouloir en même temps imiter et défaire les oligopoles américains représente la panne fatale de tes politiques économiques. Ton numérique à toi est encombré de mirages et les. Les géants de la tech seraient d’une part en train de t’envahir, et il faudrait donc s’en défendre ; mais ils seraient aussi des interlocuteurs politiques à part entière, dont tes États et tes institutions européennes attendraient tout salut. La première posture prévaut quand tu instaures des politiques protectionnistes, telle la récente et très controversée directive sur le droit d’auteur qui cherche à mettre à contribution les intermédiaires numériques d’outre-Atlantique. Ta priorité devient alors de tout mettre en place pour encourager la création de « géants du numérique » européens, homologues des oligarques de la Silicon Valley. La seconde attitude est exemplifiée par le règlement « relatif à la prévention de la diffusion en ligne de contenus à caractère terroriste » proposé à ta Commission Européenne en septembre 2018. Dans ce texte, tu te tournes vers les grandes plateformes pour leur déléguer de manière inconsidérée la modération de « contenus terroristes ». Tu leur accordes par la même occasion un chèque en blanc pour circonscrire la liberté d’expression de tes citoyens. A force de plonger leur regard dans l’abîme que sont les GAFAM, ton opinion publique et tes élus finissent par en épouser implicitement l’arrogance, l’impérialisme culturel, le nihilisme marchand. Ce mélange de protectionnisme économique et de culte du cargo californien finit par s’harmoniser avec l’une de tes pires dispositions, à savoir ton repli réactionnaire et identitaire. Nulle part cela n'est mieux exprimé que dans ton effort régalien d’articuler les outils numériques avec les politiques anti-immigration. La militarisation de tes frontières méridionales ainsi que les tentatives récentes de remise à plat du principe de libre circulation des personnes, assimilent les réfugiés et les migrants à une menace. Les murs de la Forteresse Europe sont alors érigés grâce à des systèmes de surveillance numérique des frontières et par le truchement de bases de données pour le traçage des flux migratoires, tels SIS, VIS, FADO ou Eurodac. Les 17 000 morts et disparus en Méditerranée depuis 2014 attestent du fait que ce qui arrive aujourd’hui est une violation massive des droits de l’homme et de la femme. Les acteurs européens qui fournissent des solutions techniques à ces politiques d’enfermement et d’exclusion de masse, portent une lourde responsabilité à cet égard. Mais c’est aussi aux dépenses des libertés et de l’autonomie de tes propres citoyens que tes politiques numériques de dernières années ont été développées. Au nom de vagues d’émergences et d’états d’exception permanents, une surveillance massive des populations s’est généralisée. A partir de 2013, la France et le Royaume-Uni se sont dotés d’outils législatifs comme la Loi Renseignement ou le Snoopers’ Charter, qui normalisent l’inspection profonde de paquets sur les réseaux, le traçage permanent des citoyens sur les médias sociaux et la création de « boites noires algorithmiques ». Le tout en se passant des garde-fous juridiques traditionnellement présents dans nos pays. Là aussi, l’obsession GAFAM joue un rôle clé. Les accords entre tes États et les entreprises qui se servent de ces technologies à des fins de surveillance et de répression se multiplient, du déploiement de drones Predator à des fins d’ordre public en Italie au contrat de la DGSI française avec Palantir, multinationale de la surveillance du sulfureux Peter Thiel. Comment sortir de ce numérique autoritaire ? Non pas en imaginant de reproduire le modèle Silicon Valley de ce côté de l’Océan, mais au contraire en encourageant, par un cadre règlementaire européen, des solutions concrètes. Pour ce faire, trois leviers doivent être envisagés. D’abord, un moratoire sur les politiques intérieures et extérieures de surveillance numérique des dernières années. Quand la sécurité de tes populations est réalisée au moyen de solutions technologiques conçues pour la coercition des populations mêmes, c’est la légitimité démocratique de ces outils qui est à mettre en question. Un numérique inclusif ne signifie pas seulement que le plus grand nombre de personnes auront accès à des technologies qu’elles ont choisies, mais surtout que le plus petit nombre de personnes possible subisse des technologies non choisies. En second lieu, en articulant une fiscalité numérique bien avisée et des politiques de redistribution et de développement durable, tu peux espérer que tes technologies soient aussi des outils de justice économique et environnementale. La voie d’une fiscalité numérique européenne a été indiquée dans l’expertise rendue à Bercy en 2013 par Pierre Collin et Nicolas Colin. Au lieu de taxer les plateformes numériques sur la base de leurs profits, ce rapport suggérait de lever l’impôt sur les données captées par les entreprises de la tech à partir du « travail gratuit » de leurs usagers sur le territoire national. On peut envisager à l’échelle continentale une mesure de ce type, dont les recettes pourraient servir à financer des politiques publiques en lien avec le numérique : programmes d’éducation et de formation aux technologies, incitations pour réduire l'impact environnemental du numérique, aides sociales voire même un revenu universel européen en lien avec les usages numériques. Ces politiques permettaient aussi de nous soustraire à la dépendance aux outils des grands plateformes internationales, non pas au nom d’un protectionnisme qui vise à faire émerger leurs homologues européens, mais au nom de la recherche d’alternatives citoyennes. C’est là que le dernier levier du numérique européen serait activé : en encourageant des usages technologiques désintermédiés, distribués et participatifs. Bref, en promouvant une innovation faite de structures développées en commun . Je comprends que, dans le contexte actuel, ces prospectives d’action peuvent te sembler des vœux pieux. Pour aider ces projets à se généraliser, tu auras besoin d’un cadre législatif éloigné de toute focalisation sur les GAFAM, ainsi que d’une volonté politique qui cesse d’osciller, tel un pendule, entre une extrême-droite souverainiste et une droite extrêmement néo-libérale. C'est à ces conditions seulement que tu pourras d’abord penser, ensuite réaliser, ces impossibilités comme si elles tenaient du possible. -- Antonio A. Casilli Associate Professor (HDR), Telecom ParisTech Member, Interdisciplinary Institute for Innovation (i3 UMR 9217 CNRS) Associate Member, LACI-IIAC (EHESS) Faculty Fellow, Nexa Center for Internet & Society

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A hacker is wiping Git repositories and asking for a ransom
by Giacomo Tesio May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019

Urge alfabetizzare anche gli scribi... :-) https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-hacker-is-wiping-git-repositories-and-askin… The attacks started earlier today, appear to be coordinated across Git hosting services (GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab), and it is still unclear how they are happening. [...] The hacker claims all source code has been downloaded and stored on one of their servers, and gives the victim ten days to pay the ransom; otherwise, they'll make the code public. > To recover your lost code and avoid leaking it: Send us > 0.1 Bitcoin (BTC) to our Bitcoin address > ES14c7qLb5CYhLMUekctxLgc1FV2Ti9DA and contact us > by Email at admin(a)gitsbackup.com with your Git login > and a Proof of Payment. If you are unsure if we have > your data, contact us and we will send you a proof. > Your code is downloaded and backed up on our servers. > If we dont receive your payment in the next 10 Days, > we will make your code public or use them otherwise. [...] Some users who fell victim to this hacker have admitted to using weak passwords for their GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket accounts, and forgetting to remove access tokens for old apps they haven't used for months --both of which are very common ways in which online accounts usually get compromised. However, all evidence suggests that the hacker has scanned the entire internet for Git config files, extracted credentials, and then used these logins to access and ransom accounts at Git hosting services. > Dang, I thought all those "/.git/config" scans we detected > were harmless. Guess we know what the goal was now. > > — Bad Packets Report (@bad_packets) May 3, 2019

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Libertà di stampa e rivoluzione digitale
by don Luca Peyron May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019

Buongiorno a tutti. In occasione della ventiseiesima Giornata mondiale per la libertà di stampa, che si celebra ogni 3 maggio su iniziativa dell’Assemblea generale delle Nazioni Unite, il Consiglio d’Europa ha pubblicato il Rapporto dal titolo “Freedom of expression in 2018”, con l’obiettivo di individuare le principali minacce alla libertà d’espressione in Europa rilevate nell’anno passato e le azioni che i governi dovrebbero avviare per contrastarle in via prioritaria. Si legge tra l'altro: "The adverse impacts of the digital revolution on the financial viability of quality journalism, and on local and investigative reporting in particular, are beginning to capture the attention of governments. Large parts of the media sector are still struggling to adapt to the draining of their advertising-based revenue streams, while the top beneficiaries of this shift are doing little to support quality journalism. This transformation calls for new approaches and policies aimed at ensuring the financial viability and diversity of a sector that is vital to democracy. A number of states are considering direct and indirect forms of state support, novel tax policies and new notions of corporate social responsibility. Improving the working conditions of professional journalists is vital if this dangerous trade is to remain attractive for next generation talents" https://rm.coe.int/freedom-of-expression-2018-/1680943557 Buona lettura e buona domenica dl _________________________ www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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Reverse Engineering a Xinjiang Police Mass Surveillance App
by Stefano Quintarelli May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019

China’s Algorithms of Repression Reverse Engineering a Xinjiang Police Mass Surveillance App https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/05/01/chinas-algorithms-repression/reverse-… ciao, s. -- reserve your meeting with me at http://cal.quintarelli.it

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Why we need to reinvent democracy for the long-term
by Giacomo Tesio May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019

Provocazioni molto interessanti. IMHO l'autore sottovaluta l'età media della popolazione rappresentata e decenni di propaganda individualista fra le cause della miopia politica odierna (che peraltro non va generalizzata, sebbene sia evidentemente maggioritaria). Tuttavia la deriva totalitaria globale è effettivamente dietro l'angolo. Abbiamo bisogno di nuove forme di Democrazia? Forme di Democrazia capaci di scalare a livello globale (possibilmente in modo pacifico)? E l'Informatica che ora appartiene al dominio del problema, potrebbe fornire (parte del)la soluzione? E come, se rimane una conoscenza esoterica? O magari abbiamo solo bisogno di disarmare il Capitalismo? Di privare di qualsiasi Potere Politico il Capitale? http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190318-can-we-reinvent-democracy-for-the-… It’s common to claim that today’s short-termism is simply a product of social media and other digital technologies that have ratcheted up the pace of political life. But the fixation on the now has far deeper roots. One problem is the electoral cycle, an inherent design flaw of democratic systems that produces short political time horizons. Politicians might offer enticing tax breaks to woo voters at the next electoral contest, while ignoring long-term issues out of which they can make little immediate political capital, such as dealing with ecological breakdown, pension reform or investing in early childhood education. Back in the 1970s, this form of myopic policy-making was dubbed the “political business cycle”. Add to this the ability of special interest groups – especially corporations – to use the political system to secure near-term benefits for themselves while passing the longer-term costs onto the rest of society. Whether through the funding of electoral campaigns or big-budget lobbying, the corporate hacking of politics is a global phenomenon that pushes long-term policy making off the agenda. [...] The time has come to face an inconvenient reality: that modern democracy – especially in wealthy countries – has enabled us to colonise the future. We treat the future like a distant colonial outpost devoid of people, where we can freely dump ecological degradation, technological risk, nuclear waste and public debt, and that we feel at liberty to plunder as we please. [...] Some suggest that democracy is so fundamentally short-sighted that we might be better off with “benign dictators”, who can take the long view on the multiple crises facing humanity on behalf of us all. [...] A surprisingly large number of heads were nodding in the audience, but mine was not amongst them. [...] A more fundamental point is that there may be ways to reinvent representative democracy to overcome its current bias towards the here and now. In fact, several countries have already embarked on pioneering experiments to empower the citizens of the future. [...] We are in the midst of an historic political shift. It is clear that a movement for the rights and interests of future generations is beginning to emerge on a global scale, and is set to gain momentum over coming decades as the twin threats of ecological collapse and technological risk loom ever larger. The dream of a benign dictator is not the only option to deal with our long-term crises. Democracy has taken many forms and been reinvented many times, from the direct democracy of the Ancient Greeks to the rise of representative democracy in the 18th Century. The next democratic revolution – one that empowers future generations and decolonises the future – may well be on the political horizon.

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Software e responsabilità da prodotto: il caso del Boeing 737 MAX 8
by don Luca Peyron May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019

Buona lettura per chi vorrà e buona giornata! dl Non sembra assurdo parlare, quasi in termini fantascientifici con sfumature apocalittiche, di una sfida uomo-macchina. Che disgraziatamente è stata vinta dai calcolatori in entrambe le occasioni. https://www.cyberlaws.it/2019/software-responsabilita-prodotto-caso-boeing/ _________________________ www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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Police in Washington are running sketches through Amazon's facial recognition software | Daily Mail Online
by Alberto Cammozzo May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019

Esempio lampante di estensione impropria dell'impiego di una tecnologia con esiti potenzialmente gravssimi (o perfino letali). Mentre l'ingenuo pensa che il riconoscimento automatico funzioni come quello della mente umana, in realtà nessuno può prevedere come si comporti un algoritmo addestrato su delle foto quando gli si propone un identikit segnaletico. <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6986553/Police-Washington-r…> In a previously undocumented use of facial recognition software, police in Washington state are using Amazon's 'Rekognition' to track down criminals with as little as an artist's sketch. According to a report from The Washington Post, police in Washington County are able to compare pictures of suspects harvested from security cameras and eye-witness' cell phone pictures against databases containing 300,000 mugshots of known criminals. In just Washington County Police Department alone, the report states more than 1,000 facial scans were logged last year which have helped identify subjects, sometimes leading officers to home arrests. [...]

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Data, dispossession, and Facebook: techno-imperialism and toponymy in gentrifying San Francisco
by Antonio Vetro' May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019

Studio segnalato da un collega urbanista; un fenomeno made in USA, ma mi sembra degno di segnalazione https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02723638.2019.1591143 <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02723638.2019.1591143> ABSTRACT This article situates the 2015 rebranding of Zuckerberg San Francisco General within San Francisco’s technopolitical landscape. After Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg donated to the hospital, thereby acquiring naming rights, local toponymical tension percolated. This was in part due to Facebook’s gentrifying role in the city and the racial violence such processes constitute, as well as ongoing practices data colonialism. The latter includes Facebook’s attempt at pairing hospital data with user data in order to augment its scope into intimate and bodily geographies. In exploring the intertwining of gentrification and data colonialism, here I forge the concept of techno-imperialism as an analytic and as a point of departure in understanding Facebook’s multi-scalar impacts. As I suggest, the transformation of “The General” to “The Zuckerberg” indexes the company's techno-imperiality, as well as its efforts to mask its dispossessive impacts. PDF: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331983645_Data_dispossession_and_F…

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